Concrete proportions for the foundation

The quality and purpose of the concrete mixture will depend on the proportions of the concrete composite materials for the foundation. That is why the proportions must be precisely verified and calculated.

The concrete mix for the foundation consists of:

• sand;
• gravel;
• astringent;
• cement.

Ordinary water is used as a solvent.

In this mixture, cement is needed to fill the empty space that forms between gravel and sand. Also cement binds them together during hardening. The less voids are formed, the less cement is needed to make the concrete mix. So that there are not very many such voids, you need to use gravel of different sizes. Due to this, it will turn out that the smaller gravel will fill the space that is between the coarse gravel. The rest of the empty space can be filled with sand.

Based on this information, the average proportions of concrete for the foundation were calculated. The standard ratio of cement, sand and gravel is 1: 3: 5, respectively, or 1: 2: 4. The choice of a particular option will depend on the cement used.

The rest of the materials also affect the quality characteristics. So, its strength depends on the selected sand. Very fine sand and sand with a high clay content must not be used.

1. Before making a mixture for the foundation, you need to check the quality of the sand. To do this, add a little sand to a transparent container with water and shake it. If the water only becomes slightly cloudy or even clear at all, the sand is suitable for use. But if the water becomes very cloudy, then you should refuse to use such sand - there are too many silty components and clay in it.
2. To mix the mixture, you need a concrete mixer, an iron container, or special. do-it-yourself flooring.
3. When constructing the flooring, it is important to take care that no foreign impurities get into the mixture, since they will disturb the composition and adversely affect its quality.
4. Initially, the main ingredients are mixed until a dry, homogeneous mixture is obtained.
5. After that, observing all the proportions, add water. To find out the exact proportions of cement, sand, crushed stone and water for making cement see the corresponding tables from our other article. As a result, the mixture should turn into a thick, viscous mass. In the next two hours after manufacturing, it must be poured into the foundation formwork.